The Glengoyne distillery was founded in 1833 by George Connell at Dumgoyne, north of Glasgow. It lies in the crosspath of the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland, meaning Glengoyne's Whisky is quite uniquely made in the Highlands, but aged in the Lowlands. Furthermore, this distillery doesn't use peat to dry their barely, instead they use warm air - much to the satisfaction of their fanbase. Glengoyne is one of the two remaining producers that use Golden Promise barley (the other is The Macallan) which is considered of higher quality and more expensive to grow than high-yield commercial strains.

The Glengoyne 12 Year Old is aged in first-fill Hogshead ex-Bourbon barrels and first fill Sherry casks, among others, that's why it's recognizable as a sherried Highland-style Whisky. As is the practice and tradition at Glengoyne, the 12 Year Old isn't peated at all, as the barley is air-dried, thus its PPM (Phenols-Per-Million) value is zero.